RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — From newspapers to magazines to websites, there are ways to learn about current events and what’s going on in our communities.
But for people who are blind or have trouble reading print, getting that information can sometimes be more difficult. The North Carolina Reading Service offers thousands of people access to information and connection with their community.
From a studio in Raleigh, to homes across the state, the North Carolina Reading Service makes news, entertainment, and information accessible to people who can’t see a screen or flip through a newspaper or magazine.
“Where else can you go to get a newspaper read to you?” said Noah Long, who is blind and has cerebral palsy.
Throughout his life, Long has learned to adapt. He reads and types on his computer using a braille keyboard and display. He operates his television with voice commands. He learns of community news, gets tips on adaptive technology, and enjoys entertainment from a website or smart speaker, thanks to the North Carolina Reading Service.
John Feddersen is one of about 130 volunteers who lend their voices behind the microphone to the North Carolina Reading Service. After retiring from a career with the North Carolina Symphony, he found the nonprofit to be a good fit.
“I had an aptitude for reading without making too many ‘umms’ and things,” he said. “I always read to my daughter when she was growing up and I like to talk.”
Tara Racine, executive director of the reading service, said, “Volunteers come in and read news and information for listeners at home who can tune in to hear what’s happening in their communities or what’s been written in their favorite journals, [and] various news sources.
“For a lot of our listeners, this would be the only way that they can access some of this information,” she continued. “Daily newspapers, monthly magazines are things that may not ever make it into braille, may not be usable with adaptive technology, so we make that information accessible when it otherwise might not be.”
In addition to major and community newspapers from cities and towns in North Carolina, the reading service offers movie and restaurant reviews, along with various magazines, and journal articles for listeners. There are a number of podcasts as well.
The service operates 24-hours-a day with three live broadcasts on weekdays, two on Saturdays, and one on Sundays, as well as several recorded programs. Some are geared at children and teenagers.
“My favorite program on the reading service is called ‘Tech Tips’,” Long said. “I like to keep up with what’s going on in the tech world in terms of blindness and visual impairment.”
Long has grown to know the voices of many of the volunteers who read, who provide a sense of familiarity that can’t be found in AI or text-to-speech. According to Long, that provides a sense of community and connection.
“I look at the reading service as a second family,” he said. “When you listen to it, you know that someone that you know is going to be there reading to you.”
The nonprofit relies on volunteers and donations and its biggest fundraiser is coming up this month.
The 2025 New Visions Gala will takes place on Sept. 19 in the Glenwood Ballroom at the Crabtree Marriott.